I Nā Mea Pili Apau (All That Matters)
by Katerina Banecourt
Summary: They both know being together is a bad idea. After all, he's the new leader of Hawai'i's yakuza, she's part of the Five-0 task force. Yet, a chance encounter ends with them unable to resist the instant attraction between them, leading Adam and Kono down a perilous path as they have to weigh whether pursuing their feelings is worth the risks they now face, the potential fallout.


_**Summary:**_ _All That Matters. They both know that them being together is a bad idea. After all, he's the new leader of Hawai'i's yakuza, while she's part of the Five-0 task force. Yet, a chance encounter ends with them unable to resist the instant attraction between them, leading Adam and Kono down a perilous path as they have to weigh whether pursuing their feelings is worth the risks they now face, the potential fallout if they're found out.  
 **Pairings:**_ _Adam & Kono, other canon relationships might be mentioned as well/can be inferred  
 **Genres:**_ _Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Drama, and also some Tragedy, Family & Friendship  
 **Warnings:**_ _Some mature themes, but nothing too graphic, I'd think.  
 **Author's Notes:**_ _I've only recently gotten into this fandom, and so far only watched the first 5 seasons, but H50 has already become one of my favorite shows - and I absolutely_ _ **adore**_ _Kono & Adam! Which is why I decided to write this, seeing as to my knowledge it was never revealed how they met. Originally it was just going to be a oneshot about them meeting the first time, but already when I started writing I changed my mind, deciding to make it a multi-chapter story instead. Anyways, this starts off around mid-season 2, just after Hiro faked his death and Adam took over his father's businesses and yakuza operations (some time before "Ka Ho'oponopono"). It will follow the overall canon plot at least up to season 4, so there will be spoilers, however, some details may deviate from the series, after all switching things up a bit keeps it interesting. :)  
On a sidenote, this was kinda written to "Hypnotic" by Zella Day (which is an awesome song IMO, and one of my absolute faves) as the song just kept swirling through my head while writing, and now everytime it plays on my iPod I somehow can't help thinking of Adam & Kono. ;p So, if you like listening to music while reading, I strongly recommend Hypnotic.  
Anyways, without any further ado, enjoy reading!_

* * *

 **I Nā M** **ea** **P** **ili** **A** **pau**

 _1\. Unexpected_

Darkness had long since fallen over the Hawai'ian islands, not that many in the bustling metropolis of Honolulu would take note of the lateness of the hour. Especially on a Friday night when most people were too preoccupied with just enjoying the buzzing nightlife as to pay much mind to the passing of time. Yet Adam Noshimuri wasn't among those partying and having a good time - in fact he seemed to barely even take note of those people as he sat at the bar of a decently upscale nightclub, a glass of expensive scotch on the counter in front of him. Unlike those around him, he had considerably more serious reasons to be all but oblivious of his surroundings, of the time, than enjoying the start of the weekend. Truth was, he had far too much on his plate these days, far too much work, as to relax. Since his father had been abducted and subsequently murdered barely more than a week ago - leading him to take over for his father, he had been all but literally buried in work. Between all the meetings and phone calls with his father's associates and acquainting himself top to bottom with all of his father's different business ventures and operations, he found himself lucky to get five hours of sleep at night, and sometimes not even that. Just in these past eighteen hours he had zig-zagged all across O'ahu, while spending just about every minute that he wasn't in some meeting or other on the phone, most of the calls being with his father's overseas contacts. Although it was by now fast approaching midnight, it had barely even been forty minutes since he had finished up his last appointment of the day and had decided to get a drink or two before he would call it a day. And he knew that, weekend or not, tomorrow he would be just as busy. All while he was still grieving his father, trying to come to terms with his death. As much as he might wish to just withdraw and seek some solitude in light of that recent loss, that was unfortunately not an option right now. Not with how precarious things currently were. No matter how much he had on his mind, for the moment his first and foremost priority was to consolidate his position as the new oyabun in Hawai'i. Sure, his father had been well respected both among the men working for him as well as his associates abroad, but that didn't mean he himself automatically enjoyed the same standing. If he wanted to remain in control of his father's organization - let alone make good on his ambitions to legitimize all of his family's business holdings, he would have to prove himself. Which was why he couldn't afford showing any sign of weakness. After all, within Japanese culture strength was just as paramount to being respected as one's honor, a fact that held even more true when dealing with the yakuza.

Granted, he didn't actually so much mind his busy schedule in and by itself, considering that it had never bothered him to put in long hours. After all, he had always been hard-working, even already as a child. He knew some people thought of him as an overachiever, some would even go so far as to call him a workaholic, although he preferred thinking of himself as simply being ambitious, driven... Either way, a part of him was almost grateful for being so swamped with work right now. At least as long as he was preoccupied with business matters he could keep the grief, the guilt somewhat contained, allowing him to actually focus on what needed to be done. Truthfully, in a larger sense, burying himself in work, in activity had always been his way of coping with stressful situations; after his mother had been killed it had been his school work and hobbies, and following Michael's arrest he had thrown himself into his studies at Georgetown Law. However, even though the familiar habit of keeping himself busy did - like it usually would, provide at least a small measure of comfort during this challenging time, it did little to truly silence the myriad of emotions swirling within him.

A heavy sigh escaped Adam as he reached for his drink. While he took a sip of the smooth scotch he turned slightly in his seat, letting his gaze wander over the crowd of people around him. After only a moment his brows knitted into a frown when his eyes settled upon a pretty, dark-haired woman in a black mini-skirt, dark red tank top and heeled ankle boots, dancing among the crowd. It was Officer Kono Kalakaua... Of course, he instantly recognized her from the dossier his father had instructed to be compiled on the Five-0 task force, back when they - or rather Commander Steve McGarrett, had first taken an interest in his father's activities and had gotten him arrested. Her presence automatically made him suspicious, and as he watched her dance he felt a twinge of irritation at the thought that McGarrett would stoop to setting one of his people on him to keep tabs on him. He wasn't sure what the commander would hope to accomplish by doing so, however, if McGarrett expected to get any dirt on him he would be sorely disappointed. Because there was nothing to find.

After watching Kono for another moment he shook his head to himself, brushing her being there off as a coincidence. Which it probably also was. Granted, he did have justifiable reasons to be on his guard, after all, he had just succeeded his father as head of the local yakuza. However, there was quite a difference between caution and paranoia, and he had no intention to develop a habit for the latter. At any rate, even though he admittedly wouldn't put it past McGarrett to send his pretty coworker to try getting close to him - perhaps in hopes of finding leverage to dissuade him from seeking justice for his father, he didn't see how McGarrett would've possibly pulled it off, as the commander had no way of just knowing where he would be this night. That he had gone to have a drink, let alone at this bar, had been a spontaneously made decision after all. It was also highly unlikely that he had simply been followed here, as his driver would've undoubtedly spotted anyone tailing the car. Frankly, at this point even he himself could tell when he was being followed or watched, he was used to it by now; for him it was just one of the more unpleasant side-effects of being a Noshimuri... As for the odds that McGarrett may have just gotten lucky, the mere notion of that being the case was verging on absurdity. There was no reason for anyone to just assume he'd come here of all places for drinks. After all, he hadn't been to this nightclub before, and while apparently fairly popular this also wasn't one of the more exclusive "in" clubs of town that people may presume a wealthy man like him would go to. Which had been precisely the point of coming here. It had been his conscious decision to go somewhere a bit more low key, considering that especially right now he could certainly do without the public attention, the scrutiny at the truly exclusive places. And there also simply were too many nightclubs and bars in Waikiki alone as that more than a fraction - let alone all of them, could be surveilled just on a mere whim. Five-0 certainly didn't have the necessary manpower on their own, and even with the vast means and resources granted to the task force, McGarrett would be hard pressed to justify enlisting HPD to pursue some personal vendetta. Especially when the target was a law-abiding citizen, who in addition to that was currently coping from a death in the family. The commander may be known for acting impulsively and for having a tendency to disregard rules, but by all accounts he didn't seem to be a fool. Which was why, with all possibilities considered, it was by far more likely that Kono was simply at the club to enjoy the evening, the start of the weekend, like everyone else around.

A few moments later Adam eventually tore his gaze away from her and turned back around, away from the people. Before long he got lost in his thoughts again, his mind drifting once more to all the things he needed to take care of, everything that needed to get done. And, of course, to his late father. Still, he kept finding his gaze drawn back to Kono time and again, finding himself watching her almost as if entranced, mesmerized. There was an undeniable grace, a poise in the way she moved, and the more often he glanced her way, the more he came to the conclusion that she wasn't merely pretty. She was actually quite beautiful. Reaching for his glass and taking another slow sip of his drink he gave a brief, absentminded shake of his head at himself, a trace of a chagrined smile fleeting over his face. He really shouldn't even let his mind go there! After all, he had far more pressing matters that required his attention. Truly, the last thing he needed right now was letting himself get distracted by a woman, no matter how attractive she might be. And even more so not by a woman who happened to be a cop.

* * *

It had been a very long, stressful two weeks at Five-0, filled with one messy, high-stakes case after another it seemed. Now that the most recent one of them was taken care of, Kono had every intention to just kick back and enjoy her weekend. Usually she would have just gone and hit the beach to catch some waves, but then Lori had suggested they could go hang out and get drinks together. Admittedly, like the rest of the team, she had been rather wary when Governor Denning had first assigned Lori to be his eyes and ears within Five-0, not being too keen on the idea of having someone constantly watching her every move and reporting back about it. Especially considering that at the time Internal Affairs, and more specifically Fryer, had been breathing down her neck about the money missing from the asset forfeiture locker. But then again, as far as she had gathered Lori hadn't exactly been thrilled about the assignment either. At any rate, in the interceding time the other woman had proven herself to the team. She herself had started to slowly form somewhat of a friendship with Lori after she had been reinstated with HPD and Five-0 following her time undercover for IA. As it had turned out, they weren't all that different from each other. They were both quite close with their respective family. They had both been more on the wild child, tomboyish side of things. They were both tough and driven, and knew what it was like to have to prove yourself in a workfield dominated by men... Plus, it was kinda nice to no longer be the only woman on the team.

Anyways, unfortunately something had come up on Lori's end and she'd had to cancel at the last minute. Following the call from Lori she had considered heading to the beach for some late night surfing after all, but as she had already been almost at the club where they had been supposed to meet, she had chosen to still go. Granted, she had never really been a party girl, throwing down at some club every other weekend or drinking alcohol on anything close to a regular basis, not even remotely - which could perhaps be attributed to the fact she was an athlete, but even so that didn't mean she didn't _enjoy_ having a good time, and, yes, occasionally also partying a few hours or even most of a night away.

After she had been dancing for a while Kono decided to take a break and started towards the bar. When she stepped up to the counter the man sitting on the closest stool to her left glanced up from his drink. It was the same guy she had noticed looking her way several times since she had arrived at the club about thirty minutes earlier. Perhaps, had she known just who he was, she may not have spared a second look his way. She probably would have just gotten herself a drink and walked away, without paying him any further attention. But so she instead allowed her eyes to linger upon his face for a moment, a faint smile gracing her own.

Having snapped out of his thoughts as he caught the movement in his peripheral vision, Adam felt a trace of an involuntary smile tugging at the corners of his lips when he found himself gazing up at Kono's face, their eyes meeting. For a brief while they both remained silent, their eyes locked. In the silence he watched her expression, searching for any sign, even the smallest hint of duplicity within her warm, dark brown eyes - noting while he was at it that they were just a notch lighter than his own, their color reminiscent of molten dark chocolate, radiating warmth akin to glowing embers. He noted the intelligence, the kindness, yet also a quiet fierceness within her gaze. However, nothing in her eyes, or within the light smile playing upon her lips, gave any indication that she had some agenda, some ulterior motive for coming over to where he was sitting to presumably order herself some refreshment.

Eventually it was him who spoke first, offering casually, "May I buy you a drink?"

Kono considered the offer for a moment, her gaze still resting upon his face, studying him. Now that she was standing barely more than one or two feet away from him she couldn't help noticing that he was quite handsome. He had an attractive face with even, angular features and very dark, almost black eyes. And damn, he had a charming smile... She couldn't stop herself from smiling a bit more freely in turn. "Sure. I don't see a reason why not." she eventually replied, matching his casual tone, and moved to sit down.

"What can I get you?" Adam asked pleasantly, still smiling, as he watched Kono slide into the seat beside him.

Tilting her head slightly to the side, she briefly glanced at the almost empty glass in front of him. Then, looking back at his face, she inquired nonchalantly, "Well, what are you drinking?" While speaking her smile widened still a little more.

"Scotch on the rocks." he told her while casually raising one hand and discreetly signaling for the bartender. He then returned his gaze to Kono's face as she told him that scotch sounded good. As the bartender made his way over to them he finished the remnants of his drink. Once the other man had reached them he ordered two more glasses of scotch.

When their drinks arrived only a minute or two later Kono watched the bartender place the glasses down on coasters in front of them. They both nodded a brief thanks to the man before he took his leave.

Reaching for her glass and the coaster beneath, adjusting their placement slightly, Kono briefly glanced after the bartender, then she returned her gaze to him. Absentmindedly she trailed her right index finger lightly over the rim of the glass, the movement so fleeting as if dancing, and smiling at him she said, "Thank you, ..." she trailed off, leaving the sentence intentionally open-ended as they hadn't yet gotten around to introductions.

"Adam." he easily provided, a smile once again upon his own face. While he spoke he observed her reaction. However, she showed no visible sign of recognition, still not seeming to make the connection between his face and who he actually was - to his family or rather to his father, even with the added information of his given name. Then again, considering that his father had usually made it a point trying to keep him out of the illegimate aspects of their family businesses, there was a chance that perhaps he hadn't been a person of interest in McGarrett's previous investigation into his father and the yakuza. Of course, that might have very well changed now, after he had confronted the commander about Joe White having abducted his father at gunpoint. Or maybe it was just a skillfull act, maybe she simply was a great liar. However, he had his doubts about that being in fact the case, not so much in regards to whether she was a good actress - after all, her work with Five-0 likely also entailed undercover ops on a semi-regular basis, which made such skills quite vital, but rather he didn't think he would be so easily fooled as some random criminal. Mostly because he had always been exceptionally good at reading people. Their posture, facial expressions, gestures, even by their choice and the intonation of what they said - or also didn't say, yet still by far more importantly people's eyes. That of strangers in particular. Perhaps it was a trait he had picked up in consequence of more or less growing up under the eyes of ever vigilant bodyguards, but over the years it had ultimately proven an invaluable skill. Especially as, when you grew up among the more privileged and wealthy, you often had to realize sooner than later that people tended to seek your company or tried to gain your favor simply for their own personal gain rather than for your benefit or due to genuinely caring about you as a person. Either way, his instincts had very seldomly failed him.

Meanwhile Kono smiled at him, telling him, "Well, it's a pleasure meeting you, Adam." before adding, "I'm Kono."

Adam's smile widened slightly, "I believe, the pleasure is mine." It wasn't his intention to flirt with her, but, as he spoke, he couldn't quite keep his voice from taking on a faint flirtatious edge regardless. Just as he couldn't quite stop himself from allowing his gaze to briefly wander, openly admiring her, appreciatively. Yet he wasn't looking her over with lustful eyes, but rather as one might study an exquisite piece of art... In any case, he genuinely meant what he had said. Although there were a number of reasons why he ought to be wary of her, of her presence, he actually found the opposite to be the case. If anything, he somehow felt more at ease right now than before Kono had stepped up toward the bar. But then again, perhaps that simply stemmed from the fact that talking with her kept his mind occupied, away from his troubled thoughts.

At the compliment, his flattering tone, Kono averted her eyes, lowering her head slightly to hide the faint blush blossoming upon her cheeks. She was kind of used to drawing attention, to men looking her way more than once, some even outright staring at her - it kinda came with the territory when spending considerable amounts of time in little more than a bikini, but she couldn't recall anyone ever looking at her the way Adam did right now, and although she probably wouldn't have admitted it, the intensity of his gaze sent a pleasant shiver running along her spine.

After a moment she lightly cleared her throat, reaching for her glass and taking a sip of her scotch. As she lowered her drink again she eventually glanced back at him, breaking the silence between them, "You're here on business?" she inquired, taking an educated guess based on his immaculate attire. She may not be an expert on men's fashion, but even someone with untrained eyes could tell that his suit and shirt must've cost thousands of dollars; the fabrics and craftsmanship, all the way down to even the stitching, showing that it weren't mass produced items. They were definitely designer pieces, though, with how perfectly they fit, it wouldn't surprise her if each piece had been hand-tailored for him. Further adding to her impression of him being a businessman or wallstreet type - and a quite successful one at that, was the classy watch on his left wrist, a Rolex from the looks of it, though she wouldn't have been able to say for certain whether it was mere silver or white gold, or perhaps even platinum. Either way, it had undoubtedly been expensive as well.

Not that money had ever been something that impressed her.

"Something like that... What gave me away?" Adam asked, smiling at Kono as he answered the question himself, "It's the tie, isn't it?" Although he had loosened the perfect Windsor knot and had also opened the top button of his shirt shortly after his arrival at the nightclub, the fact remained that he _was_ wearing a tie. Locals never wore ties. Even his father had barely ever worn a tie, with the only exceptions generally being when he had been meeting with visiting affiliates from abroad, who would have taken the laid-back attires typical for Hawai'i as an affront to them, as a sign of disrespect.

Kono chuckled softly, good-naturedly, and gave a nod in confirmation. "Yeah."

His smile turning into a bit of a smirk Adam mused, reaching for his glass, "I suppose, despite having grown up here, it still became a habit to wear one after living on the mainland for several years." After he finished speaking he a took a sip of his drink, his gaze not leaving Kono's face.

* * *

One drink turned into a second, then eventually a third, time flying by as they were talking. The conversation came easy for them, although they didn't stray too far from casual smalltalk topics, and only occasionally there would be moments of brief, comfortable silence between them, as neither of them felt any particular need to fill every second with random chatter.

Before they even realized it almost two hours had passed, while their last round of drinks still stood all but untouched, half forgotten, in front of them. It was ultimately Kono who first remarked on the lateness of the hour as her gaze fell upon the watch on his wrist, "It's getting rather late..."

As she spoke Adam took a brief glance at his watch as well. "Indeed," he concurred, the faintest twinge of regret lacing his voice at the prospect of parting from her already, "I guess, it's getting time to call it a day." All the while his eyes remained on her face.

"I guess, it is." Kono replied, her expression and tone of voice matching his.

They took another few minutes to finish their drinks, neither of them really in any rush to leave. Or rather, to part from the other. Yet, eventually, their glasses were empty, at which point Adam closed his tab, settling the bill as he stood, then he extended a hand to help Kono off her seat. Smiling, Kono took his hand and rose to her feet.

They made their way outside in silence. Once they had stepped out onto the sidewalk, into the cool night air, they stopped, still neither of them saying anything for a moment. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, yet there was a heaviness to it, the growing tension between them almost palpable. While they were standing there Adam watched how the light breeze in the air played with her hair. After a few moments he lifted a hand, reaching without really thinking about it towards her face and tucked a strand of hair away. Then, rather impulsively, he lightly cupped her cheek with his hand, gently tilting her head up as he stepped closer and caught her lips in a slow, yet nonetheless passionate kiss.

For a moment Kono almost seemed frozen, taken by surprise. Yet she didn't resist the kiss nor did she pull away from Adam considering that she admittedly felt equally attracted to him, and after another brief moment she kissed him back.

When they eventually pulled away after a few, seemingly endless moments, they locked eyes and Adam finally broke the silence between them. "I'm staying not too far from here." he told her a little boldly, his eyes not leaving hers as he spoke. He honestly wasn't really the type to pick up random women he met at a bar. For a number of reasons. And frankly he was perfectly aware that, rationally, it was a really bad idea to pursue the attraction he felt towards her. But regardless of rational reasoning, the fact remained that he _was_ undeniably attracted to her and he quite honestly didn't want to just part from her, in part because he already knew he wouldn't be able to just forget about it, about having met her. Especially given the fact that Kono seemed quite interested in him as well, if the way she had responded to his kiss was any indication.

At his proposition Kono met his gaze, her own eyes thoughtful as she considered Adam's words for a moment. She really wasn't the type to hook up with a guy she just had met, at a bar no less - no matter how handsome they were, as random one-night-stands just had never appealed to her that much. And, from what she had gathered as they had been talking, it seemed pretty certain that Adam was merely in town for some work-related matters, so what could this lead to other than a casual hook-up? _'So what? Clearly, he wants you just as much as you are into him.'_ it shot through her mind, _'Besides, it's not like you really have the time for a relationship with your crazy work hours anyways... And, on that note, how long has it been since you've actually been with anyone?'_ However, after only a few moments she pulled herself out of her thoughts, pushing them aside, as she replied just before the silence could stretch on too long, "That sounds great, Adam." she said, a smile gracing her face as she met his eyes evenly.

Adam returned the smile, admittedly pleased by her answer, and although he probably wouldn't have acknowledged it aloud, he also felt a trace of relief. He didn't say anything else for the time being as he instead stepped towards the curb, raising a hand to flag down a cab for them.

It only took a minute or two before one stopped, which was rather unsurprising as there were a number of bars, clubs and restaurants in this part of Waikiki. Once the vehicle had come fully to a halt Adam moved to open the door, letting Kono get in first before he slid into the back of the cab as well. Shutting the door he told the driver the name of the hotel where he was currently staying. Of course, his family had a number of properties, including private residences across the Hawai'ian islands, however, given recent events, namely his father's kidnapping and murder, he felt more comfortable staying at a hotel as, oddly enough, it seemed more private to him right about now.

* * *

The cab ride passed in silence, though neither Adam nor Kono felt bothered by this. And why should they have been bothered by the silence? They were both mature adults, knowing what they wanted, not some nervous teenagers who felt the need to ramble on and on just to cover up the awkwardness of the moment. Already because there was nothing awkward about the silence; words were just not needed at this point. When they reached their destination not much later Adam paid the driver, then opened the car door, getting out before turning back and extending one hand to help Kono get out.

"Thanks." Kono said as she took his hand, a smile upon her lips.

Closing the car door once she was standing beside him Adam smiled as well. "You're welcome." he assured, while the cab drove away. He then turned towards the entrance of the hotel, his hand coming to rest at the small of Kono's back all but on its on accord, seemingly naturally, as he led the way inside and towards the elevator.

It was only when they reached his room that Adam withdrew his hand from her back, while he reached with the other hand into the inside pocket of his jacket to retrieve the key card. He unlocked and opened the door, then stepped inside and once again held the door open for Kono in gentlemanly fashion. With another smile Kono stepped into the room - or rather, the suite. A rather spacious suite she realized, yet again confirming what she had assumed from the start; that Adam was doing quite well for himself. However, she only took a brief, cursory glance at what she could see of her surroundings from just inside the threshold, admittedly not really too interested in his choice of accomodations, before turning back towards Adam, the smile not leaving her lips as she watched him close the door behind them. Her smile widened as he then stepped closer to her, lifting one hand to her face, lightly caressing her cheek before kissing her again. This time Kono did not hesitate to respond, her hands automatically moving up to his shoulders. At first slow and wistful their kiss soon became more heated, passionate, neither of them really feeling any need to hold back any longer the desire they felt for each other.

While they were kissing they started to move farther into the wide open space of his hotel suite, kicking off their shoes as Adam directed them toward the bedroom area at the back, neither of them ever quite breaking the contact between them. His left hand tangling into her hair he rested his other hand upon Kono's waist, drawing her closer, deeper into another kiss, before abandoning her lips, trailing kisses along her jawline and down her neck, eliciting a soft little sound of contentment from her. Eyes flying shut Kono tilted her head a little to give him better access to the sensitive skin, her hands slipping from his shoulders, fingers knitting into the fabric of his suit jacket and pulling him towards herself.

After only a few brief moments, though, Kono released her hold on his jacket, reaching towards his face, guiding his kisses back up toward her face until their lips met in a deep, hungry kiss. Adam smiled against her lips, thoroughly enjoying the intensity between them and he pulled her towards him, before letting his hands lightly roam her beautiful form. At his touch Kono moaned softly and she reached her hands up to his neck, running the fingers of one hand through his hair before trailing them over the back of his neck, his shoulders. Eventually she reached for his tie, swiftly undoing the knot and pulling the item from his neck, carelessly discarding it, she then started to pull his suit jacket off his shoulders. Adam briefly let go of Kono as she helped him out of his jacket, shrugging the piece of clothing off, before eagerly drawing her close again.

As they shared another hungry, breath-taking kiss Kono began to open the buttons on his shirt. Yet she paused momentarily as Adam's hands trailed over her body, eventually wandering to the hem of her tank top and starting to pull it up, prompting her to let go of him and lift her arms to help him undress her. The moment Adam had pulled off her top Kono swiftly undid the remaining buttons of his shirt, pushing the fabric out of the way once the last button was open to run her hands across his now bare chest, nails raking across his skin.

At Kono's touch, the feeling of her nails upon his skin, a low moan escaped Adam, his eyes falling momentarily shut. Lifting one hand to the back of her head, his fingers tangling into her hair, he wrapped his other arm around her slender waist and pulled her closer as he caught her lips with his own, kissing her deeply. At this point he admittedly could barely think straight as his growing desire, his need for her clouded all other thought, and after just another moment he trailed his hands to the closure of her skirt, about to undo the button and zipper. However, he then hesitated to actually do so and instead slowly pulled away from their heated kiss, brows knitting into a frown as second thoughts rose in the back of his mind. After all, he knew this was an utterly bad - if not outright stupid - idea; getting involved with Kono, even if this remained a one time thing. It really was the last thing he needed right now considering that he was already facing a perilous balancing act in taking over his father's organization, the stakes being high enough as it was without the potential exposure from hooking up with a member of the Five-0 task force. All while Kono had absolutely no idea who he was, no idea who she was actually about to get in bed with, literally. Which admittedly was really what didn't quite sit right with his conscience about this, the nagging voice in his head reminding him that ultimately he was deceiving her by keeping her in the dark.

Which was why, when Kono moved to close the space between them to kiss him again, Adam made a snap decision and gently stopped her, letting go of her as he said, "Kono, wait... Before this goes any further, there's something you ought to know about me."

Instantly she halted and pulled back ever so slightly to look at him, a frown appearing on her own face, "Let me guess, you're married. Or is it a girlfriend?" she inquired dryly, her gaze automatically wandering to his hands, checking for a ring or telltale tanline before looking back up at his face.

Inspite of himself, despite the graveness of what he actually had to tell her - of what he was about to tell her, Adam couldn't hold back a brief chuckle although there was no real humor in it, an involuntary trace of a smile tugging at his lips. Admittedly he almost wished it were that simple; that the biggest concern here were a wife or girlfriend waiting for him, that his darkest secret were having a habit of adultery. _'If only...'_ He held back a sigh at that thought. "I'm afraid, it's considerably more complicated than that." he told her, eyes locked upon her face, gauging her reaction as he added, "My full name is Adam Noshimuri. I'm the son of Hiro Noshimuri."

At his admission the faintest glimmer of shock flickered through Kono's eyes, her hands dropping from his chest. "As in Hiro Noshimuri, the head of Hawai'i's yakuza?" she gave him a questioning, almost incredulous look. And if he'd had any lingering suspicions that, perhaps, them having met at the nightclub had been anything other than a mere coincidence, the shocked disbelief written upon her face and resonating in her voice would have been enough to convince him otherwise, because if this was a mere act she could send even the most celebrated Hollywood legend packing. It confirmed what he had believed - _known_ , to be the case all along; Kono had indeed not known who he was. Not until just now when he had come clean about it.

This time he couldn't quite stiffle the heavy sigh rising within him and he momentarily averted his gaze. When he looked back at Kono he gave a nod in confirmation, "Yes." after a brief pause he acknowledged, "And with my father dead, I'm in charge now." All the while he was speaking he kept his gaze on her expression, already bracing himself for the inevitable outrage he was certain this revelation would elicit. He only wasn't entirely sure just how it might manifest, imagining anything from her simply leaving in a huff; over her snapping at him, demanding to know how he could do this - just dropping this bombshell on her after what had seemed to build between them; all the way to a furious outburst with her yelling at him, perhaps even hitting him, before storming off. Either way, he could hardly blame her. Nor would he blame her. After all, he knew how it must look to her; that to Kono it must seem as if he had deceived her for some ulterior reason, such as simply getting her into bed - or maybe in fact intending to get leverage, to use her to gain inside information on Five-0, but had had a change of heart for whatever reason. That perhaps he was merely fessing up now to absolve his conscience...

But, whatever he may have imagined or expected, none of it actually came as Kono silently considered what he had told her, trying to process it objectively. When she eventually did speak, she instead wanted to know, a deep frown upon her face, "Why are you telling me this?"

Adam took a moment to reply, "Because I think you're a beautiful and intelligent woman. I enjoyed this evening. I enjoyed talking to you... And I don't wish to deceive you, Kono." he explained genuinely, his eyes still not leaving hers, "I know who you are, that you're with Five-0. Which is why, I believe, it's only right that you should know who I am."

While Adam was speaking, Kono's brows creased into a faint frown, surprised by his acknowledgement of being aware of who she was. After all, she had only been with HPD for barely over a year. Granted, she was on the Five-0 task force and there had been her recent undercover assignment, which had taken down Frank Delano and other dirty ex-cops, but other than that she couldn't think of many, if any, reasons why anyone would take particular note of her. Especially not the leader of the local yakuza.

"I would understand, if knowing the truth about me would make you reconsider taking this any further." he continued, lifting a hand and tucking a strand of hair out of her face while he spoke, before he brushed his fingers lightly over her cheek, a slight, thoughtful frown upon his face. Truthfully, even though he didn't say it, he would also understand if, in light of his revelation, she may wish they had never met in the first place. And he couldn't quite deny that, at those thoughts - at the thought of how the knowledge of who he was would change her perception of him, he felt a twinge of regret over having told her. Still, it had been the right thing to do, regardless of the potential consequences, and at any rate he had never been particularly fond of deception. Granted, usually he wasn't exactly in the habit of sharing this particular piece of information about himself so freely, but as he had told Kono just a few moments earlier, he didn't want to deceive her, even if merely through omission. And aside from that, in a way everything that had transpired between them so far was not quite typical for him, so perhaps it wasn't really all that surprising that he had spontaneously decided to tell her that he was Hiro Noshimuri's son...

As he trailed his fingers over her cheek Kono breathed a little sigh, her eyes falling shut. Slowly, she opened her eyes again, and looking up at him she asked in an almost hushed tone, "What if it doesn't?"

At what she said a smile crossed Adam's face. Rather than saying anything in response he gently tilted her chin up, capturing her lips in a slow, passionate kiss. While they were kissing Kono's hands moved up to his chest, roaming over his skin until reaching his shoulders. She then eagerly began to remove his shirt, causing Adam to briefly break away from their kiss to shrug the piece of clothing off. Once he had discarded the shirt he reached out towards Kono, pulling her into another almost desperate kiss, before he picked her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist as he carried her the remaining few feet toward the bed. Setting her gently down he moved to kiss down her neck, lightly grazing his teeth over the sensitive skin, and dusting her collar bones with soft, fleeting kisses. Eyes fluttering shut again Kono moaned in delight and her hands slipped from the nape of his neck, where they had come to rest when he had lifted her up, now wandering over his shoulders and the defined planes of his chest, nails lightly raking across his skin. Slowly, purposefully, Kono trailed her hands lower until her fingers reached his waist and without hesitation she undid the button and zipper of his pants, easing them off.

Stepping out of his pants Adam drew Kono into a kiss, removing their remaining clothes before he joined her in bed. He trailed his hands lightly over her body, slowly letting them wander lower. As he positioned himself to enter her he paused momentarily, pulling away ever so slightly to look at her, "Are you sure?" he asked lowly, giving her another chance to change her mind about them going through with this.

"Yes, Adam, I'm sure. I want this, you..." Kono muttered in response, her own eyes not straying from his as she parted her legs a little more for him, invitingly.

At Kono's encouragement a trace of a smile appeared upon Adam's face as he kissed her lightly, before he pulled away from her lips to meet her eyes with his own as he slowly took her.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ _Okay, so admittedly parts of this chapter didn't quite turn out as I envisioned, but I decided to rather post it and edit things at a later point, instead of pushing myself to phrase everything precisely how I originally imagined, considering that doing so would probably only end up with me getting writer's block. Anyways, I hope that anyone who read this first chapter enjoyed it! Reviews would be appreciated greatly, as I find it rather helpful and also motivating to know what people think. :) Anyways, I will try to update soon, but experience has taught me it's better not to make promises on a specific timeline._


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